Shortwood Teachers' College Library

14/01/2015

Spanish teacher at the Clan Carthy High School Coswell Barnett has found a way to connect with his students even while not being able to see their faces, assisting them to distinctions in Spanish at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level and pushing them to 11 medals at annual Spanish festivals: http://bit.ly/1wQb9kI

Photo: Coswell Barnett (right) having fun with his young charges. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer

14/01/2015

At 30 years old, Coswell Barnett is as respected and revered by his students as much as any of his teaching colleagues at the Clan Carthy High School in St Andrew, and it is not just because he is blind.

18/12/2014

03/12/2014

FREE TRIAL!!! FREE TRIAL!!! FREE TRIAL!!!

A free trial of Education Collection of eBooks is available for subscription. This collection has been added to EBSCO account and is now available to patrons of the Shortwood Teachers' College Library.They are accessed using same password and username. Please contact the library for list of titles that are now available in this trial.

24/11/2014

27/10/2014

What is Ebola?

Ebola, formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a viral illness that is often severe and fatal in humans.
Ebola has a mortality rate of 90%.

How is Ebola spread?
Animal-to-Human
Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus. In Africa, the virus is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals, usually infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.

Human-to-Human
Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. The virus can also be transmitted from deceased Ebola patients to mourners who have direct contact with the body during burial ceremonies. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.

Symptoms
Initial symptoms of Ebola include:
• Sudden fever
• Intense weakness
• muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
This is followed by:
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Rash
• Impaired kidney and liver function
• Internal and external bleeding

Persons should bear in mind that even after someone has commenced treatment for the virus or has ceased to experience these symptoms, they can still transmit the virus. People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions, including semen, contain the virus. Ebola has an incubation period, i.e. Time between infection and symptoms, of two to 21 days.
Prevention
Here are some steps that can be taken if there is an Ebola alert in your area:
• Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided.
• Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home.
• Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home.
• People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried.

Jamaica Information Service. (2014). Be on the alert: Ebola information. Retrieved from http://jis.gov.jm/features/alert-ebola-information/

Ebola, formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a viral illness that is often severe and fatal in humans.

27/10/2014

KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF EBOLA


Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Kevin Harvey is urging travelers to and from Ebola affected countries to ensure that they are aware of the signs and symptoms of Ebola so that they can take action to reduce any possible exposure.

Dr. Harvey says this is important so that persons minimize their risk of contracting the virus and then spreading it to others.

He said travelers are advised not to touch dead bodies and restrict intimate contact with persons who may be infected or could be a contact of an infected person. He is also asking that persons honestly disclose their travel history at air and sea ports.

The Ebola virus is a severe, often fatal illness with a death rate of up to 90%. It is transmitted through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids or secretion such as stool, saliva, urine and semen of infected persons. Infection can also occur if broken skin comes in contact with environments that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen or used needles.

“If for any reason an individual believes that he/she has been exposed to the virus, they should seek immediate medical treatment at a major hospital and reduce contact with other persons as much as possible,” Dr. Harvey said.

Symptoms of Ebola include sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, MUSCLE PAIN, headache and sore throat. This may be followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and in some cases both internal and external bleeding leading to death. The incubation period for the virus is anywhere from two to twenty one days.


Smith, S.S. (2014, October 15). Ministry of health strengthens systems to prepare for Ebola. Retrieved from http://www.moh.gov.jm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=664:know-the-signs-and-symptoms-of-ebola&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=80

Ministry of Health, Jamaica.

27/10/2014

MINISTRY OF HEALTH STRENGTHENS SYSTEMS TO PREPARE FOR EBOLA


The Ministry of Health has been strengthening its Ebola preparedness plan. Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse says particularly in light of the report of a confirmed case of the Ebola virus in the United States, it is important that focus is placed on the Points of Entry at this time.

“We continue to ensure that our systems are strengthened especially in the area of surveillance including at the Points of Entry so that we can quickly detect and respond to any case that may come into the island. Meetings have been held with the management teams of the responsible authorities to ensure implementation of the required measures,” Dr. DuCasse said.

She added that for months steps have been taken to heighten surveillance and staff has already been sensitized and trained specifically with respect to Ebola. Public hospitals across the island have identified isolation areas and a facility has been refurbished specifically to accommodate isolation for Ebola.

“We are also working with the Pan American Health Organization which is providing technical support and we will be increasing our public education efforts. The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and keep the public updated," she said.

The Ebola virus is a severe, often fatal illness with a death rate of up to 90%. It is transmitted through direct contact with blood, other bodily fluids or secretion such as stool, saliva, urine and semen of infected persons. Infection can also occur if broken skin comes in contact with environments that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen or used needles.

Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, MUSCLE PAIN, headache and sore throat. This may be followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and in some cases both internal and external bleeding.


Smith, S.S. (2014, October 1). Ministry of health strengthens systems to prepare for Ebola. Retrieved from http://www.moh.gov.jm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=636:ministry-of-health-strengthens-systems-to-prepare-for-ebola&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=80

Ministry of Health, Jamaica.

15/09/2014

Chikungunya virus - symptoms, treatment and prevention
Chikungunya is an infection in humans caused by the chikungunya virus.

How chikungunya is spread

Humans and other primates are the natural hosts for the chikungunya virus. The virus is spread to humans by the bite of an infected female Aedes species mosquito – Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. These are the same tropical and sub-tropical mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus. They breed in or near human habitations and prefer to feed on humans during the daytime in shady areas, but may also bite early in the night.


Signs and symptoms

Chikungunya infection is characterised by sudden onset of:

high fever
severe joint pain mainly in the arms and legs
headache
MUSCLE PAIN
back pain
rash (about 50% of affected people).
Most people start to feel better after 7 to 10 days although some people will develop longer term joint pain.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is based on signs and symptoms and confirmed with a blood test.

Incubation period

Typically 3 to 7days with a range of 1 to 12 days.

Infectious period

Chikungunya cannot be spread directly from person to person.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for chikungunya infection. The use of pain medication and rest can provide relief for some of the symptoms.

Prevention

Exclusion from childcare, preschool, school or work is not necessary but infected people should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes while they are unwell.
There is no vaccine to prevent infection.
Personal protection and the environmental management of mosquitoes are important in preventing illness.

Government of South Australia.(2014). Chikungunya virus: symptoms, treatment and prevention.Retrieved from http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/health+topics/health+conditions+prevention+and+treatment/infectious+diseases/chikungunya+virus/chikungunya+virus+-+symptoms+treatment+and+prevention

Information on chikungunya virus, including diagnosis, symptoms and treatment

12/09/2014

Good Morning to you all. Here is a website that will help in Research and Citation.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects.